Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Gigabit Project contracts will require the most remote locations to be connected first.

Matt Warman: The proportion of low speed premises in an area has been a key factor in the phasing of Project Gigabit and we will prioritise delivery to low speed premises within contracts. The option for small ‘Local Supplier’ contracts within Project Gigabit provides additional flexibility in targeting hard to reach communities. We are also prioritising gigabit coverage to hard to reach areas by targeting premises that do not currently have superfast broadband through recently signed Superfast Programme contracts, benefiting over 390,000 premises.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional staff her Department has employed on fixed-term contracts during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will list when each of those contracts will end.

Guy Opperman: Since 1 April 2020 we have recruited 11,556 people on fixed term contracts. Of those who have started since 1 April 2020, we have 10,507 employees who remain in the business. Their contract end dates are set out in the following table reflecting, the position as at 28 February 2021, which is a continuously changing picture, given that people are actively being extended and recruited, and we will also lose people naturally through turnover before their end dates are due.   Contract end datesMar-212102*Apr-21412*May-21261*Jun-21122*Jul-21348*Aug-2181*Sep-21228Oct-21135Nov-211499Dec-21763Jan-221176Feb-221322Mar-2216Apr-221056May-22707Jun-2278Jul-22125Aug-2254Sep-221Oct-226Nov-224Dec-225Jan-236Total10507 *Some contract end dates for people due to leave in these months are in the process of being extended.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional staff her Department has employed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Guy Opperman: From the start of April 2020 to the end of February 2021 an additional 13,242 people have joined DWP as staff employed on its payroll. This figure is based on new joiners only, doesn’t take account of any leavers, and does not include staff loaned from other government departments that didn’t join DWP payroll, or agency workers who are not directly employed by the Department. It also does not include internal movement within DWP into key roles as a result of the impact of COVID-19.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make foster parents a priority group to receive the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: Based on the clinical assessment that most children are not considered to be at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality, being a foster carer alone is not cause for prioritisation for a COVID-19 vaccination. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities within residential care, should be offered vaccination as part of phase one. There are currently no plans to prioritise foster parents not in the first nine priority groups in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.Unpaid carers are included in the JCVI’s priority group six, which includes individuals who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable. This means that if a foster parent or carer is the sole or primary carer of a child who was prioritised for vaccination in cohorts four or six, they will be offered the vaccination in cohort six.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are in each of the priority groups for the covid-19 vaccine, by region.

Nadhim Zahawi: Data on the number of people in each priority group by region is not held centrally.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to centres administering the covid-19 vaccine on contacting people in priority groups one and two who have so far not received a covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: The National Health Service has now offered the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone in the top four priority cohorts. Any health and care staff who have not so far accepted but would now like to do so have been asked to contact their employer who is responsible for arranging their vaccination. Others in the initial priority groups one to four can arrange a vaccination through the national booking system by calling 119 or at the following link:www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government is collecting data on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic covid-19 vaccinations (a) administered and (b) refused by vaccination type.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England provides a weekly breakdown of first and second COVID-19 vaccinations in people who are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/We do not hold data on vaccinations administered by vaccination type and we do not collect information on those who refuse the vaccine.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has published on what steps people in the first four covid-19 vaccine priority groups should take if they have not received a vaccination appointment letter by 15 February 2021.

Nadhim Zahawi: The National Health Service has now offered the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone in the top four priority cohorts. Any health and care staff have been asked to contact their employer who is responsible for arranging their vaccination. Others in the initial priority groups one to four can arrange a vaccination through the national booking system by calling 119 or at the following link:www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination

Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of trends in the level of transparency relating to the treatment of eating disorders by adult mental health services and child and adolescent mental health services; and what steps he is taking to help improve transparency in respect of that treatment by those services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: No such assessment has been made.   NHS England and NHS Improvement publishes data on referral to treatment waiting times for children and young people that start urgent and routine/non-urgent treatment, on a quarterly basis. We continue to monitor the waiting times and demand for children and young people’s eating disorder services. Data can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cyped-waiting-times/   A four-week waiting standard for adult community mental health services, including eating disorder services, is being piloted and considered as part of the clinically led review of National Health Service access standards. Further information on the definition of a potential standard will be shared in 2021/22.For adult eating disorder services, NHS England and NHS Improvement is constantly reviewing the data and information provided on delivery of mental health services via the NHS Mental Health Dashboard. This is to ensure transparency on progress against key NHS Long Term Plan commitments.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the rollout of the covid-19 vaccination programme for the housebound.

Nadhim Zahawi: No specific assessment has been made. However, for these individual patients, general practitioners will determine the best approach to vaccination alongside the community teams, based on their knowledge of the patient and circumstances. Some of these patients may be able to attend Primary Care Network (PCN) designated sites with assistance and discussion should be held with the family and/or carer to facilitate this process. PCNs have established mobile vaccination teams, which will also focus on people who are housebound.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving stem cell transplant recipients who have a non malignant blood disorder and who are clinically extremely vulnerable from covid-19 vaccine priority level six to four.

Nadhim Zahawi: People who have received a stem cell transplant more than six months ago are included within priority group six of phase one. People who have received a stem cell transplant within the last six months will be defined as clinically extremely vulnerable in which case they are included in priority group four. Both groups should now have been called forward for vaccination.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to assess the implications for his policy on the first phase of priority groups in the covid-19 vaccination programme of regional health disparities.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government is committed to ensuring equal access to the vaccine and that no one eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase is left behind. It is clear, however, from both attitudinal surveys and data on uptake, that there is variation in levels of uptake across different geographies and communities.On 13 February 2021, the Government Published the UK’s Vaccine Uptake Plan which recognises that some communities have long-standing barriers to engagement with services including for vaccination. The plan acknowledges the need to take a local, community-led approach, with support provided from government, NHS England and NHS Improvement and local authorities to coordinate and enable action. The plan is underpinned at national, regional and local level by four key enablers; working in partnership, removing barriers, data and information and conversations and engagement. Nationally, a Vaccination Equalities Committee has been established, which brings together government departments with representatives from the Association of Directors of Public Health, local authorities, Fire and Police services and third sector organisations, to advise and guide the vaccine deployment programme on addressing inequalities.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people (a) from a BAME background and (b) who are more vulnerable to covid-19 receive the vaccination in a timely manner.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 13 February the Government published the United Kingdom COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Plan, which aims to improve uptake across all communities on a national scale, including those from black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds and those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. The plan takes a local, community-led approach, with support provided from the Government, NHS England and NHS Improvement and local authorities to coordinate and enable action.On 25 January we released £23.75million funding to support our Community Champions Scheme. Through the Community Champions scheme councils and voluntary organisations will deliver a wide range of measures to communicating accurate health information. The funding is specifically targeted at areas with plans to reach groups such as older people, disabled people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds who according to the latest evidence are more likely to suffer long-term impacts and poor outcomes from COVID-19. Each of the sixty councils in receipt of funding have developed their own plan to improve communications with these groups including helplines, school programmes, workplace engagement, phoning those in at risk groups as well as training sessions to help people provide information and advice. On 24 February 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine deployment programme, working with partners, made available an extra £4.2 million initially, to further support and enable locally led community engagement in all areas with health inequalities to support those who are most vulnerable to get their vaccine.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has has with Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has has with clinicians in Luton on the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has has with Luton Borough Council on the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Secretary of State has not had specific conversations with the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, individual clinicians in Luton or Luton Borough Council regarding the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people who move into a higher covid-19 vaccination priority group get swift access to an appointment.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regularly reviews the evidence on clinical risk and prioritisation and may periodically advise adding additional individuals to be vaccinated within or alongside one of the nine priority groups. Where this happens the vaccination programme booking systems are altered to ensure such individuals are able to book appointments in line with their new priority grouping. The fact that they have been prioritised is communicated publicly as well as to the National Health Service including General Practitioners, to maximise awareness and ensure individuals are identified and encouraged to take up the offer of prioritised vaccination.

Coronavirus: Clinical Trials and Vaccination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether private laboratories are working on (a) covid-19-related clinical trials and (b) the vaccination programme; and if he will categorise their workers as health and social care staff for the purposes of receiving covid-19 vaccines.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy on the prioritisation for the covid-19 vaccines of staff working in private laboratories on covid-19-related clinical trials and the vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) identified that the vaccination of frontline healthcare workers should be a priority for the COVID-19 vaccination programme as these staff are at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection but also of transmitting that infection to multiple persons who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 as well as to other staff in a healthcare environment.Public Health England’s Green Book, which sets out guidance on immunisation against infectious disease, includes some laboratory staff in the definition of ‘frontline health care workers’. However, it differentiates between hospital and non-hospital-based laboratory staff as those not working in a hospital setting, including private, academic or research facilities, are at a low risk of transmitting COVID-19 to people who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, in a healthcare environment and are therefore not prioritised for vaccination as frontline healthcare workers. This distinction aligns with the JCVI’s recommendations.Private laboratory staff working on COVID-19 clinical trials and the vaccination programme have been prioritised if the laboratories are based in a hospital.

Health Services: Inspections

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings he has had with the Care Quality Commission on the implementation of its new inspection regime in relation to closed cultures; and how that new inspection regime relates to the Transforming Care agenda.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are not aware of any specific meetings that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that focussed on its new inspection regime in relation to closed cultures.The Minister of State for Care has regular meetings with the CQC including discussions on closed cultures, as well as on Transforming Care more widely. I met with the CQC on the 29 June 2020 which included discussions around closed cultures.CQC have been making significant improvements in how they understand and identify closed culture services, prioritising these services for monitoring. This supports improvements in the quality of care provided to people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the Transforming Care objectives.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising all people with a learning disability for the covid-19 vaccination.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of Public Health England published in COVID-19: deaths of people with learning disabilities on 12 November 2020, whether younger adults with learning disabilities have appropriate vaccine priority when they are 30 times more likely to die of covid-19 than young adults in the general population.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 24 February 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published a clarification of their advice on vaccinating people with a learning disability. They confirmed their view that priority should be given to those with a severe and profound learning disability and supported a practical approach of inviting everyone on the general practice Learning Disability Register for vaccination in cohort six.The JCVI also supported the planned approach to work with local authorities to identify those in residential and nursing care and those who required support, for example as part of assisted living in the community and those in shared accommodation with multiple occupancy, to ensure this population could be offered vaccination.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether prioritisation for the covid-19 vaccine within a priority group will be based on occupation; and if he will take steps to ensure that frontline workers are prioritised for that vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) did not advise prioritising within a priority group so we are vaccinating on the basis of age rather than occupation.For Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, JCVI published its interim advice on 26 February, setting out that the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age, rather than by occupation. This is because age is assessed to be the strongest factor linked to mortality, morbidity and hospitalisations, and because the speed of delivery is crucial as we provide more people with protection from COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) people with cystic fibrosis other respiratory conditions and (b) other clinically extremely vulnerable people in England have been vaccinated against covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: We do not hold data on vaccination totals by specific medical condition, such as cystic fibrosis or other respiratory conditions.NHS England and NHS Improvement do provide a weekly breakdown of data on vaccinations administered to clinically extremely vulnerable people. This information is updated on Thursdays, and can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling his Department has undertaken on the optimal strategy for covid-19 vaccine roll-out; and when that modelling is planned to be published.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) takes account of a range of scientific information including modelling work and this is cited in their minutes and published statements which are available at the following link:https://app.box.com/s/iddfb4ppwkmtjusir2tcThe modelling work by Warwick University which informed the JCVI’s phase one advice is available at the following link:http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/149402/1/WRAP-Modelling-optimal-vaccination-strategy-SARS-CoV-2-2021.pdfThe modelling work which informed their advice for extending the interval between the first and second dose is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prioritising-the-first-covid-19-vaccine-dose-jcvi-statementThe modelling work which informed the JCVI’s phase two interim advice is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/university-of-warwick-covid-19-vaccine-impact-forecast-13-january-2021

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his oral contribution of 13 January 2021, Official Report, on a new vaccination confidence campaign, whether that campaign plans to issue information for people with learning difficulties, hearing loss and visual impairments.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has been working closely with Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement to provide accessible information to the public on COVID-19 vaccination. This includes a series of leaflets, posters and flyers which have been developed in various formats including Braille, British Sign Language video, large print and easy read on GOV.UK.NHS England and NHS Improvement’s learning disability and autism programme has worked collaboratively across the National Health Service, with Public Health England and other partners to support the delivery of reasonable adjustments in the vaccination programme. This has included a range of training resources for vaccination teams on communicating with people with a learning disability and autism and making reasonable adjustments to training materials for COVID 19 vaccinators and volunteers. A general film on vaccinations for individuals with learning disabilities and autism can also be accessed on the NHS website.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to prioritise kinship carers that are not in the first nine covid-19 vaccination priority groups in the next phase of the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: Being a kinship carer alone is not cause for prioritisation for a COVID-19 vaccination. This is based on the clinical assessment that most children are not considered to be at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities within residential care, should be offered vaccination as part of Phase 1. There are currently no plans to prioritise kinship carers that are not in the first nine COVID-19 vaccination priority groups in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Unpaid carers are included in the JCVI’s priority group 6; which includes individuals who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable. This means that if a kinship carer is the sole or primary carer of a child who was prioritised for vaccination in cohorts 4 or 6, they will be offered the vaccination in cohort 6 themselves.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that kinship carers are being vaccinated against covid-19.

Nadhim Zahawi: Being a kinship carer alone is not cause for prioritisation for a COVID-19 vaccination. This is based on the clinical assessment that most children are not considered to be at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities within residential care, should be offered vaccination as part of Phase 1. There are currently no plans to prioritise kinship carers that are not in the first nine COVID-19 vaccination priority groups in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Unpaid carers are included in the JCVI’s priority group 6; which includes individuals who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable. This means that if a kinship carer is the sole or primary carer of a child who was prioritised for vaccination in cohorts 4 or 6, they will be offered the vaccination in cohort 6 themselves.